Intermittency in an optomechanical cavity near a subcritical Hopf bifurcation

Abstract

We experimentally study an optomechanical cavity consisting of an oscillating mechanical resonator embedded in a superconducting microwave transmission line cavity. Tunable optomechanical coupling between the mechanical resonator and the microwave cavity is introduced by positioning a niobium-coated single mode optical fiber above the mechanical resonator. The capacitance between the mechanical resonator and the coated fiber gives rise to optomechanical coupling, which can be controlled by varying the fiber-resonator distance. We study radiation pressure induced self-excited oscillations as a function of microwave driving parameters (frequency and power). Intermittency between limit cycle and steady state behaviors is observed with blue-detuned driving frequency. The experimental results are accounted for by a model that takes into account the Duffing-like nonlinearity of the microwave cavity. A stability analysis reveals a subcritical Hopf bifurcation near the region where intermittency is observed.

Mode locking in an optomechanical cavity

“…The single mode fiber is terminated near the mechanical mirror by an FBG (having a negligible effect, since its filtering band does not overlap the one of the other FBG, that is integrated on the left arm of the ORC) and a graded index fiber (GIF) serving as a lens with a focal distance of 40 µm. Details of the fabrication process used for preparing the suspended 100 µm ×100 µm mechanical mirror made of aluminum can be found in [18]. All measurements are performed at temperature of 77 K and pressure well below 2 × 10 −5 mbar.…”

Noise-induced temporal regularity and signal amplification in an optomechanical system with parametric instability

“…However, noise is unavoidable in open optomechanical systems, and compared to all-optical systems the mechanical freedom in an optomechanical system is more sensitive to thermal noise because of its relatively low resonance frequency. Thus, the effect of noise on optomechanical nonlinearity has become an important topic [13,14].…”

Damping in a superconducting mechanical resonator

“…1(b)]. Details of the fabrication process can be found elsewhere [22]. Measurements are performed in a dilution refrigerator at a pressure well below 2 × 10 −5 mbar.…”

“…Measurements are performed in a dilution refrigerator at a pressure well below 2 × 10 −5 mbar. Another device on the same wafer, which is made in the shape of a microwave microstrip resonator, allows characterizing the surface resistance of the aluminum layer [22].…”